In orthopedics, locked intramedullary nailing is normally used for treating long bone fractures.
During recent times non-locked intramedullary nails, such as Kuntscher, Rush and Ender nails, have been superseded by locked nails of the so-called "second generation" (Russel and Taylor, Gross and Kempf, etc.).
These have found wide use particularly in diaphyseal leg and femur fractures.
The difficult access paths have however been instrumental in inducing surgeons to renounce this osteosynthesis method for the upper limb in favour of external fixing and plates under compression.
The external fixing of an osteosynthesis device constitutes an obvious drawback for the patient under treatment, especially because of the continual risk of impingement.